Heir to Senju
by Fiori75
Summary: It began with a subtle hint of paranoia, but turned into something no one could have predicted. After all the Uzumaki were all a bunch of stubborn, crazy, idiots, and this is also true of their descendants. Mokuton Naruto, with a twist.
1. Prologue

Fiori: Okay folk's I know I really should be focusing on Oriental Philosophy right now, and that I should reeeeeeeeally look updating Kuro-tenshi some time this next decade but hey what can i say this idea just came to me and before I knew it I had already written a prologue. But hey this should be fun, and i promise it won't interfere with Oriental, Tellemicus Sundance would _kill_ _me_ if I even though to slacking on that one. But all the same, here is this random little story that worked its way into my brain.

I in no way, shape, or form own Naruto... otherwise things would make sense (Pointedly looks at Tobi) the sharingan would not be a dues ex (pointed look at all known Sharingan users) and i would not have given Kabuto any back story what so ever. i liked him better when he was just some madman who wanted to watch the world burn, now he's sympathetic. Makes him less of a Joker.

222

Prologue:

"Unacceptable! How can they not see the risk this jinchuriki presents to us?" Shimura Danzo growled to his fellow councilors.

I know what you're thinking right now. It's entirely likely that you've read these very words before in another story. If not the exact words above, then at least something very similar. I would assume you think the statement above refers to young Uzumaki Naruto, and that this meeting is taking place behind the back of Sarutobi Hiruzen. That this meeting is about the risks of the Kyubi no Yoko either taking control of the young boy and using him as a tool towards its freedom, or about the foolishness of not creating the perfect weapon out of the boy. Yet I assure you this is not the case. While it was true that the meeting was taking place behind the Sandaime's back, and they were discussing the risk's of the Kyubi's freedom. Naruto was not the topic. For truth of the matter is, Naruto isn't even a gleam in his father's eye yet, let along a security risk to Konoha.

"I am in agreeance with you Danzo, but what can we do. According to the Uzumaki, the girl's Chakra would be well suited to controlling the beast. In their words, Young Kushina is the perfect vessel of any Bijuu, especially the most powerful." Mitokado Homura put forward.

"While that may be true, we didn't request 'perfect'. We requested secure, that's why we asked for a boy." Utatane Koharu grumbled.

That was the crux of their meeting. In less than a month Uzumaki Kushina would arrive in Konohagakure no Sato, to become the second Jinchuriki of the Kyubi no Yoko. And she was not what the councilors had requested. When they had contacted their allies in Uzushiogakure, requesting a new host, they had specifically asked for a male host. Not because they feared that a female host would be weaker. Far from it, their current Jinchuriki was one of their strongest shinobi, even if she was nearing the end of her life. No what they feared was something else entirely.

"The moment that girl gets it into her head that she wants a family, and we're all in danger! I for one do not wish to risk the lives of every man, woman, and child in my home, simply because one woman wants a baby. Bad enough that Mito risked childbirth three times, I will not risk a fourth time." Danzo seethed.

That was the source of their fear. Shortly after Mito had become the Jinchuriki, it was discovered that during the course of her pregnancy, the seal holding the Kyubi within her grew weaker and weaker. Finally almost breaking when she delivered her first child into the world. After that, those who knew of the risk had grown weary when she showed no indication of not having any more children. She wouldn't even consider it. Even when the Shodai Hokage himself had suggested to her that it might not be a good idea.

In response Mito had grabbed him by the groin and told him quite simply "How attached to these are you? Because the only way I'm not having any more kids, is if you can't perform the act to create them." Uzumaki were scary like that, especially if you threatened their notion of family.

Mito herself had grown up surrounded by family, parent, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews, not to mention grandparents and even great-grandparents. No Uzumaki grew up in a small environment. Even if the household was filled with people who fought, pulled pranks on each other, and took food off one another's plates. It was just the nature of their family, and they wouldn't have it any other way. Mito was just the same, and anyone who told her no was _educated_on why they were idiots.

And they just knew, _knew_that Kushina would be exactly the same.

Before those in charge had conceded to Mito in her mad quest to endanger the village for a family, simply because they had Hashirama's Mokuton ability, and it's ability to control the Kyubi should anything go wrong. Yet since his passing, not a single Senju had shown an ability to use the Mokuton. Only the fact that Mito had apparently kept her word and had no children without the help of her husband making them, kept the village safe. Now however they had a new Uzumaki woman coming. Even if she was a child now, eventually she would grow to desire children of her own, and the only thing they had in stock to keep the Kyubi at bay was just one budding seal master.

And the likelihood of _any_ woman letting Jiraiya near their bed as they gave birth was as likely as the Hyuga clan admitting that the Caged Bird Seal was a dumb idea. It just wasn't going to happen.

"We know as well as you do Danzo, but that there's nothing we can do about who they're giving us. The girl fits the criteria for hosting the Kyubi. Hell we can't even do anything about her eventual desire for children. You know that Hiruzen wouldn't dream of ordering her not to have kids." Koharu replied to Danzo's anger.

"She's right, there's nothing we can do. We can only hope that we have some method to contain the beast when she finally gets it in her head to be a mother." Homura agreed. Danzo was loath to admit it, but in the end he had to agree with them. Once an Uzumaki got it in their heads to do something, the only way to stop them was to kill them. And even then there was still a chance that they'd manage to pull it off in their final moments. When Kushina decided to have children nothing would stop her. But it was as Danzo contemplated the danger the village could be in, that an idea began to take root. It was risky and potentially damning if they were found out. But it held the best chance to keep Konoha safe.

"That is… not entirely true." Danzo said carefully, drawing the attention of his fellow councilors.

"Oh, how so Danzo?" Homura asked curious.

"The risk is not in her being a parent. But rather her giving birth correct?" Danzo asked carefully.

"Yes… I see were you're going with this. But how do we pull it off?" Koharu asked with wide eyes.

"That is actually rather simple, it would not be _that_ suspicious to ask for a medical exam to ensure her good health. Even if she's an Uzumaki it is still protocol whenever someone emigrates to Konoha, doubly so when in the nature of a shinobi." Danzo explained.

"So we sabotage her then, make her barren?" Homura asked.

"What else can we do? I know it's risky, but I for one would rather face the punishment if we're caught than what could happen if the Kyubi gets free." Danzo replied calmly.

His fellow councilors nodded in agreement. They all knew, just as he did that the good of Konoha came before the good of the people. The Uzumaki could still have her family, after all adoption wasn't frowned upon among her clan. But the tree would not be endangered. It had to be done.

For the good of the great tree.

Yet the three of them could never predict just how their decision would affect Konoha, for even they had underestimated the Uzumaki's, not only their stubbornness but also the sheer unpredictability inherent in all those who bore the blood of the Uzumaki's.

222

(Sixteen years later)

Senju Tsunade felt like one of the biggest heels in the world as she looked at the pair in front of her. She had just informed the young woman in front of her that there was no hope, no experimental procedure to help her condition. Uzumaki Kushina would never be able to have Namikaze Minato's child. She watched as the young couple sat before her taking in the news, gauging their emotional reactions.

She could see in Minato's blue eyes that he was fighting back tears. The man wanted more than anything to hold a child in his arms, a child that he helped bring into the world. And while it was still possible to love and raise a child, it would not be the same. She should know. While she loved Shizune, and saw the girl as the daughter she never had, it was not the same as giving birth to a new life.

Kushina herself had already descended to tears at the knowledge. Feeling the pain that any woman in a similar position would experience. She was barren, incapable of producing eggs to be fertilized. It was a sad fate, one Tsunade had seen before. But in the end it was something the woman would survive.

Yet as she watched the young couple that had sought her out, far from the village she once called home. For the singular purpose of helping to create life rather than end it, Tsunade saw a spark form in the woman's eyes. It was the sort of thing Tsunade had seen before from her own grandmother whenever she had gotten some mad idea in her head. According to Shizune, she too occasionally got that very same look whenever a particularly crazy idea hit her.

"Is there anything wrong with my womb?" Kushina asked quite suddenly, startling Minato, who hadn't noticed the idea forming.

"Kushina? What are you talking about?" He asked.

"She told me I couldn't have kids, but I want to know whether it's because I can't produce egg cells or if my womb is incapable of supporting the new life." Kushina explained, startling the older woman, as well as her husband.

"Are, are you suggesting what I think you are?" Tsunade asked with wide-eyed shock, almost unable to believe the unorthodox logic of the young Jinchuriki.

"Of course I am, it worked before didn't it?" Kushina asked with a smile.

"But that was an experiment by Orochimaru? Are you willing to use his methods just to have a baby?" Tsunade asked in shock.

"The experiment wasn't evil, just kind of off. Besides if I had a willing donor what's the problem?" Kushina asked bluntly.

Tsunade, and Minato for that matter couldn't argue with her reasoning. The experiment in question _hadn't _been evil. In fact it was one of the few good things the oily bastard had done for Konoha before his more vile methods had been discovered. Designer babies, some parents had wanted children of more… powerful nature. Mostly because of the prestige that the child might bring them, And so Orochimaru had taken sperm and eggs from willing (and sometime unwilling) donors and had impregnated the women with the result.

"But who do you have in mind to donate the egg cell? From what I'm guessing this is very much a spur of the moment idea." Tsunade asked seriously.

"No idea, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Right Minato?" She asked her husband with a bright smile.

The young Hokage could only look at his wife as the idea was weighed and measured in his own head. And in truth he could see nothing wrong with it. He could still have his child, and it could be with the woman he loved. It would just require a little extra help, and he was more than willing to seek that help.

"Yeah, I guess we will." He said with a smile, as equally bright as his wife's.

Tsunade now was looking back and forth between the two, and couldn't help the mournful smile playing across her face. A minute ago their situation had almost been comparable to her own. Like Kushina she had wanted children, but for her it was not a matter of being unable to have one. Rather for her, it was that no man could have ever taken Dan's place as her lover and the potential father of her child. Yet still part of her wanted to bring a life to this world, a pool of light and hope to the darkness and cruelty. It was the part of her that was wholly Uzumaki in nature. But it was still part of her.

As she looked at the young woman, given new hope, an idea very in tune with Kushina's began to form. Kushina needed a donor, and Tsunade wouldn't terribly mind if it was Kushina who assisted her in her desire to produce that tiny spark of light. The fact that Kushina was technically family only helped in making the decision that she eventually reached.

"Well then if you're committed to this course, might I volunteer to be the donor?" She asked with a smile that was unmistakably that of an Uzumaki's. She couldn't help but laugh at the pole axed expression on Minato's face, but even still she caught the bright smile firmly attached to Kushina's face.

"We'd be honored Tsunade-sama."

222

(Ten months later)

Sarutobi Hiruzen could only stare blankly at the sleeping infant before him in the Hokage's office. He had to fight back sigh at the bad luck the poor boy had, had coming into the world. He wasn't even a full day old, and already he was orphaned, and been used as a sacrifice to contain a demon. Well it wasn't accurate to say that he was an orphan. The recently reinstated Hokage was one of the few people in the village who knew how the child had been born. He knew that while he had grown within the womb of Uzumaki Kushina, even being marked by the Kyubi just as all of Mito's children had been, that young Naruto was also technically Tsunade's child.

She had donated the egg cells just as planned, implanting them within Kushina's womb. And after the aforementioned Jinchuriki spent a rather… ehem, wild night with her husband. Tsunade had been ecstatic to declare the procedure a success. In ten months time Kushina had given birth to the young child before him. But just as his teammates and his old rival had feared, the Kyubi had been freed, rampaging through the streets of Konoha and killing many in its rage.

In the end Minato had given his life to defeat the beast, sealing the Kyubi into his own child. And then promptly died while giving Sarutobi back his old job. Now he needed to figure out something to do with the boy. For there had been a rather rushed summary of events that had already been fed to both of the two remaining Sannin. He didn't know who had told them, but some idiot had told both Jiraiya and Tsunade that the Namikaze family was dead. Both had already taken off to parts unknown, and while he could contact Jiraiya eventually and inform him that the information given was false. Tsunade was another matter entirely.

The fact that she had stayed in Konoha for a full ten months was surprising. In fact it was nothing short of a miracle. He had hopes that with the birth of the child he just might be able to secure her permanent return to Konoha. For in those ten months, a side of his dear student he thought dead and gone had begun to show itself. She had even started working with a few aspiring kunoichi that wished to follow in her footsteps. And it was all thanks to a certain Uzumaki. The two of them had bonded over the child growing within Kushina's womb, becoming fairly close. She'd even promised to help raise the Naruto when he finally came into the world. In fact the only reason she hadn't been by Kushina's side when it was finally time, was that she still had that pesky phobia of blood.

And now she had run off to who knows where, and Sarutobi highly doubted she would listen to anything anyone form Konoha had to say about any topic, let alone the fate of young Naruto. No it was unlikely that Naruto would meet his 'mother' anytime soon. But that still left the question on what to do with the child. He had no family, Minato had been a war orphan, and Kushina had come from the recently destroyed Uzushiogakure, and her clan was scattered to the winds, and with Tsunade gone… actually there still might be someone capable of caring for the young child.

While it was true in a sense that Tsunade was one of the last Senju, that was actually a bit of a misnomer. While it was true that there were very few Senju left. It would be more accurate to say that she was the last Senju who was also a shinobi. All the other remaining Senju were merely civilians. And after this night their numbers were depleted even more so, in total there were only nine Senju left in the world. And two of those were little Naruto and Tsunade. But the prospect was still there. They were family, and they would be able to look out for the boy. Though he doubted he could tell them he was Tsunade's child, as the woman had shown absolutely no signs of being pregnant while in their presence. And while such things could be hidden with Genjutsu, the way woman act when pregnant and beset upon by hormones can't. No they simply wouldn't believe him that young Naruto was her son.

But he could pass the child off as a Senju. His hair was the right color for it, and among their clan there had been there share of clansmen with wild hair. Yes, he could do it. Naruto would have a family, one that would be able to care for him and protect him.

"Can someone please retrieve Senju Yurirama for me please?" He asked one of the hidden ANBU in the room with him.

222

Senju Yurirama was a cautious woman by nature, doubly so now that surviving the attack upon the village by the Kyubi. Thus she was quite weary of any potential reason's why she could be suddenly called to the Hokage's office. At twenty-five years of age she wasn't anything particularly special, just a doctor. Not even a medic-nin either, just a regular old-fashioned doctor. No chakra involved in her work what so ever Hell the only reason why the Hokage probably even knew her name was because she had grown rather close with Tsunade-sama while she was still in the village.

She was of an average height, standing at 5 feet and 7 inches tall. Her hair was a light blond color, and was tied in a manner similar to Tsunade's, though her pigtails were nowhere near as long as the slug princesses. She was dressed in a plain brown skirt and a green shirt, and was noticeably worried as she was escorted towards the Hokage tower through the wreckage that had been the site of her home. The Kyubi had practically destroyed all of the remaining Senju's homes, and only Tsunade's presence had saved the few that still lived.

When she arrived, she nearly fainted at the information she received.

"Wait, what? You want me to raise him?" She asked in shock as she pointed towards the young child still sleeping in the office.

"I see nothing wrong with the way I phrased my question. What is it you are having trouble with?" The Hokage asked in a tone any shinobi could spot as dangerous. As a civilian she had a rather difficult time spotting the rather subtle threat and plowed on through anyways.

"Well for one thing, that there is a jinchuriki. Do you know what could happen if I took that into my home, especially that one?" She asked incredulously.

"No, tell me what could happen." The threat in his tone was more overt now, and the temperature was noticeably dropping. Though still the woman pressed on, and for reason's that actually surprised Sarutobi.

"No offense Hokage-sama, but the beast that boy now contains killed a lot of people tonight, a hell of a lot of people are going to place the blame on this little guy here. Keeping him at what's left of my home would just invite all sorts of trouble. I'm no shinobi, and you can bet that a few of the people out there who are pissed at the little guy are. I'd probably die the minute one of those guys comes looking for a little payback on a helpless target. I won't do that for some random kid." She explained.

"You mean you have no problem with him containing the beast?" Sarutobi asked with genuine surprise.

"Not really no, but I don't know the kid or his parents. I've got no reason to risk my life for a stranger." The woman repeated.

"Even if the stranger is family?" Sarutobi asked pointedly.

"Wha- you mean the Yondaime used a Senju?" The woman asked in shock. Her eyes glancing back to the still slumbering babe. Slowly she began to pick out a few things about him that looked quite similar to members of her clan. His hair was the right shade of blonde to be part of her clan, and the skin tone wasn't that far off. Heck even the shape of his nose was right.

"Yes, that young child bears the blood of your family." The old Hokage nodded, knowing that he had caught the young woman. It was a very well known fact that the Senju were very loyal to their families. Probably something they got from their close ties to the Uzumaki's. The young woman literally couldn't turn the child away.

"What's his name?" She asked as she looked at the sleeping child with clinical eyes, no doubt trying to match him to one of her family.

"Naruto. Senju Naruto."

222

Fiori: So there you have it. i have a few more things planned for this, but honestly I'm not sure if I should write anymore. i mean the ground work is there for a truly epic story, and it seems that most of the stories were Naruto gets Mokuton usually dies or are just plain shitty. Plus this is a whole new spin on it. so it might be fun to see where this takes me. In the end I guess it all depends on how well this gets received by you lot.

So review damn it, review or I feed baby Naruto to the Kyubi!

Kurama/Kyubi: Can't you do that anyway's I'm hungry.


	2. Chapter 1

Fiori: Huh, looks like I'm going to be continuing this story after all. Gotta say the reactions I've received have bee pretty good so far. Better than i expected actually. Hopefully i can live up to expectations and keep this story going strong. Though I think to do that i will definitely need someone to beta it for me, and you know keep me on task so the mind doesn't wander too much.

As for some questions that are doubtlessly going to show up, like pairings. Well to be honest i have absolutely no idea who I should pair Naruto with. I'm thinking I should just write and see what happens. That's what i did for the prologue and this chapter. And I'm fairly certain that they turned out well. So I'm just gonna do that. So with out further ado.

I do not own Naruto, Kishimote does. After all I'm not obsessed with freaky magic eye powers. I mean seriously, the Sharingan can both rewrite reality _and_ trap people in time loops. What the fuck?

222

Chapter one

When Senju Yurirama had returned to what was left of her clan residence, young baby Naruto in arms. It was not just she who was weary. Many of her family members had looked at the young child with a mix of apprehension and fear. It had already been announced that the boy before them held the Kyubi no Yoko prisoner, and while most of them didn't fear the Kyubi overtaking the boy's soul and using the body as a puppet, the remnants of the founding clan were weary of raising the child.

All of this was of course before she had told them that according to the Sandaime, young Naruto was of their clan. After that the reaction was closer to disbelief.

"You expect us to believe that he's one of ours? How can we even be sure, none of the women here were even pregnant before the Kyubi attacked." Spoke Senju Hiroshi.

Hiroshi was one of the older living Senju still in residence to the village. At the age of forty-two he had long dark hair that had the edgings grayed, and left in a braid that reached down to his waist. He dressed in modest, yet nice clothing, befitting his status as a merchant of good standing. As the second oldest Senju still within the village he was left in charge merely for the fact that the eldest, one Senju Iro, had dementia.

"Look I had trouble believing it at first too, but look at him, look." Yurirama defended, presenting the still slumbering babe to the older man.

Hiroshi, while still suspicious of the child was not nearly as narrow-minded as other individuals. While he suspected no small amount of deception involved in the child's origins, he was not going to ignore evidence if it presented itself. So with a deep sigh he began looking over the babe.

What he saw certainly led credence to Yurirama's statement. The boy looked to contain Senju blood. The shape of his face was similar to several members of there clan, and his nose was the exact right shape. The color of his hair was a toss up however. Both the Senju and the Yamanaka were known to have blond hair. The Yamanka's more so than the Senju. But even with that, many arguments had been shot down. Based on appearance alone, young Naruto looked to belong to clan Senju.

But that still begged the question, just who had given birth to him?

"Did the Hokage tell you who his parents were?" He asked calmly as he let Yurirama draw the child back towards her chest.

"Not at all, all he told me was the boy belonged to clan Senju and we should take care of him." She replied as she adjusted her hold on the sleeping infant.

Hiroshi raised his eye incredulously at her very basic summary of her meeting with the Hokage. He had expected more from the young woman. But then again she had been meeting with the Hokage of all people. And while Yurirama could usually spot lies given to her by patients, the Hokage was the leader of a hidden village. The difference between him and some random civilian trying to score pain medication was very far indeed. It wasn't improbable at all that the Sandaime had the ability to pull the wool over her eyes. With this in mind Hiroshi was determined to know exactly what he had said to convince her that she was currently holding a member of their clan.

"I want you to tell me what he said, exactly as he said it." Hiroshi ordered calmly.

"Well he told me that 'The woman who gave birth to young Naruto was not a Senju. But I assure you, this child bears the blood of clan Senju. It falls to your family now to raise him, as hi parents are no longer here to do so.' Is what he said." Yurirama dictated carefully.

"So no mention of names, just knowledge that they were no longer with us." Hiroshi muttered as he examined the Hokages words,

"Yeah, but he said enough to make a few guesses. I mean if it wasn't his mother that was from our clan, I'm guessing that means that it was this little guy's dad who was part of our clan. I'm thinking Gin was responsible." She replied.

"Oh, and what makes you think that?" Hiroshi asked sarcastically. He knew as well as any other member of his clan did. Gin liked to sleep around, and he was very, very good at it. The chance that he had sired a number of bastards was incredibly likely, the fact that his hair was a spiky blond mop, lent credibility to the theory. However it never did well to speak of the dead.

"You know why. But still it doesn't make much sense." Yurirama replied thoughtfully.

"How so?" He asked, curious. Her theory of this being Gin spawn was very likely the case, yet if she doubted even her own theory, she likely had a very good reason.

"Well if he is Gin's kid, how the hell would the Hokage know that? I mean I know he's got a freaky memory, but that's for his shinobi, and people he regularly meets. Before I talked to him that first time with Tsunade-sama, he had no idea who I was. So how in the hell would he know who Gin was? I mean Gin never, ever met the old guy, so how could he have known this kid was a Senju?" She told him, voicing her theories to the older man, hoping that with his advanced years that he could help shed some form of light upon her concerns.

"That is troubling, accurate to a fault, and very, very troubling. Perhaps his mother was a shinobi?" Hiroshi asked.

"That's possible, but that still begs the question on how the Sandaime knew that he was of Senju origins? Gin wasn't exactly known for sticking around with the women he slept with." She replied. Hiroshi said nothing, as it was the truth. Gin rarely ever slept with the same woman twice. Truth was once he'd been in bed with someone; it was unlikely that, that woman would interact with him ever again. So for a kunoichi to bear his child, and the Hokage to know about said child actually being Gin's, it just wasn't very likely at all. Which begged the question of if this really was a child of the Senju clan.

"I want you to get some blood work done." He said after a moment's contemplation.

"I was thinking about doing it anyways." Yurirama admitted.

"So you too do not believe the Hokage words?" Hiroshi asked carefully.

"Well, not entirely, I don't think he blatantly lied about the kids mother, but I'm not sure he was entirely honest either. All i know is that there are way too many questions surrounding the little guy. And while I'd like to make sure he's going to grow up loved. I don't want to face the stigma the village will push onto me while raising him. I could do that for family, but for some kid the Hokage just gave me. Well, I don't think I'm that good of a person."

"As much as it pains me to say, I don't think I'm that noble a person either. If the boy truly is a Senju I wouldn't dream of turning him away. But if he's not." Hiroshi didn't finish his sentence, not needing to.

Most had forgotten exactly how Senju Mito had been treated directly after Madara had tried to kill Hashirama via the Kyubi all those years ago. But the many of the Senju still remembered, if only because several of them had actually met the woman. The villagers had feared her, loathed her even. No one had believed that even she was capable of containing the hatred and power the Kyubi had possessed. Not only that, but the villagers had even cast looks of suspicion upon the Hokage himself for his continuous association with her. It had been years before anyone outside of her family had warmed up to the woman again. And that had only been when the Kyubi had tried to kill the Shodai. With this particular incident the chances that the same stigma would appear was not only highly likely. But Hiroshi was assured that the stigma would be far greater, and the amount of time it would take for anyone to look at the young Jinchuriki and not be reminded of this night would take years more than it had with Mito. And none of the Senju still in the village held a candle to how well loved Hashirama had been by the people.

It may seem hypocritical, but it was the state of affairs amongst those still left. Family would come first and foremost amongst those left in clan Senju, thus if the Sandaime had been truthful, and Naruto was indeed of Senju blood. He would be cared for just as any other child of their clan. However if he wasn't, then it was very likely that he would spend his early life alone in an orphanage. Call them horrible people, but Hiroshi knew that it had been decades since the Senju clan had been noble enough to take a strangers child in, let alone one who would bring such stigma upon his family.

"So whose blood am I comparing his to?" Yurirama asked.

"Every Senju on record."

They needed to be sure; else they would invite unneeded strife upon themselves.

222

(One week later)

There were two hospitals in Konoha proper. One of which, was the one that catered to civilians, and then there was the shinobi hospital. On the surface there wasn't much difference between the two of them. They both treated patients, regardless of whom they were or where they came from. Save during war time, and in those times prisoners of war were always treated after those who were allied with the village proper. The real difference however was in how they were staffed and equipped.

The Shinobi hospital had nothing but those trained in the art of the healing through chakra. To even qualify as a nurse you had to have at least basic in medic-nin training. The security within the shinobi hospital was also far more secure than that of the civilian equivalent. All the people that worked as security within the hospital were Chunin Shinobi in rank, at the very least. Usually pulling hospital duty was the same as pulling gate guard duty, or a shift at the academy. While it could be incredibly boring no one could deny that it was important, since it was at the Shinobi hospital that all of the most detailed medical-records on Konoha's shinobi were stored.

From the most complete physicals of the Aburame, detailing exactly how their internal hives worked, to the weird quirk in Inuzuka genetics that made them allergic to caffeine, and ending in the detailed autopsy reports of a Yamanaka whose brain liquefied from a misuse of one of their family jutus's. All short of files could be found there. And if you knew how to heal someone with a unique physiology, you also knew the most effective ways to kill them. Thus the Shinobi hospital was guarded almost as well as some clan compounds, complete with a dead-man's switch in their records room.

The civilian hospital however was not nearly as well staffed, guarded, and didn't even have access to the fancy toys the shinobi hospital did. After all if you're going to treat someone who houses bugs in their bodies, you're going to need some special equipment to make sure you don't accidentally disturb their hive when operating. Instead it could be considered average at best. In comparison the civilian hospital was only on par with the clinic of the Shinobi hospital. But it was still the place where Senju Yurirama worked.

As a doctor, Yurirama was usually called upon to act as the resident attending physician for all the members of her clan, in addition to her duties at the civilian hospital. Thus when she brought in young Naruto for a checkup performed by herself, it didn't look that suspicious to those who followed her. Not many people would have been able to notice them, but Yurirama was sure that the Hokage had assigned at least one ANBU to look after the child, and ensure that no harm came to him. After all the only Senju shinobi was currently wallowing in grief at some unknown bar in only kami knows where, that or she was gambling. So if someone had really wished to end the young child's life, those caring for him likely wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

However it wasn't just her status as a civilian doctor that provided her with her ambiguity. Two other things contributed towards the little scrutiny turned her way. One was that most in the hospital were far to busy tending the wounded and the dying. Shinobi and civilian alike were laid out in every bed available within the hospital. So many had been wounded in the wake of the Kyubi's attack that both hospitals were overflowing with those in need of medical attention.

The other reason was that those who did turn her way, quickly caught sight of the infant cradled in her arms. After that, most just started glaring.

In retrospect the Hokage presenting the young child to the village at large as he had probably hadn't been his best idea. While most people didn't know exactly what young Naruto looked like. Such as the fact that he had a curious set of birthmarks, most knew that he had blond hair. So it was likely that any child with blond hair would be suspect for the next couple of months, until everyone knew _exactly_ who held the demon at bay. Then things would doubtlessly degrade as more and more people fed off of their combined grief, anger, and hatred for the Kyubi.

If ever there was a time to determine just whether or not Naruto was truly of clan Senju, it was now. Now when those who would grow to hate him didn't know exactly who he was. And thus could not associate him with Yurirama's family.

It didn't take long at all for Yurirama to get a hold of the DNA labs. Though it should have been harder, considering that the lab was actually fairly new to the civilian hospital. Usually such things were only found in the shinobi hospital and were used to ensure the presence of a Kekkei Genkai, especially in the case of clan heirs. However in recent years of peace, there had been a boom in childbirth. And in some cases it was between people who couldn't be entirely sure whom the father was. Not to mention all the occasions that some civilian family had tried to up there standing by claiming that their child was the bastard of one of the members of a prestigious clan. It had taken a while, but finally the civilian hospital had broke down and paid for the installation of the same device used by the shinobi.

If Yurirama had to guess, she would say that she had gotten in so quickly for the same exact reason's why no one had looked at her to closely. After all what use was a DNA test going to serve in the face of people missing limbs. Testing DNA to determine if an orphan had any family left could come after they had tended to the wounded, if ever.

And so Yurirama went about carefully drawing blood from the infant. She could only take a bit of blood, since as a baby; he didn't have much to begin with. But it was enough to compare him to just about every Senju within record.

As she waited for the data to finish compiling she couldn't help but wonder at the two outcomes that could come from this day. Either Naruto was truly a Senju, or he wasn't. If he wasn't then it was an orphanage for him, sad but survivable. If he was however a Senju, he would need to be raised carefully, doubly so since he was also a Jinchuriki. He would have to attend the Shinobi academy, since it was nigh unheard of that anyone containing a demon within themselves did anything other than serve in the military, in one form or another.

However as she contemplated the two most likely futures for young Naruto, she could never have known just what the truth revealed to her would be.

222

(Ninety minutes later)

It was a pale and wide-eyed Senju Yurirama that returned to the currently being rebuilt Senju clan home. It was quite easy to see the difference in her. When before she had left only slightly tired from looking after an infant. Now she looked to have seen a ghost. In her arms slept the young Naruto. But for Hiroshi, he could see a very subtle difference in the way she held the babe. Before she had held him carefully, but clinically. Like any doctor would a child not there own. Now she held the small bundle closely, like it contained something infinitely more precious than someone else's child. In one of her hands was a carefully folded sheet of paper, doubtlessly the results from the blood work. Though he felt that looking at it wouldn't have changed much. Just by looking at the new way she was holding the baby told him all he needed to know.

"He is one of us then?" He asked as he looked towards Yurirama's face.

"H-hai." The woman replied weakly, drawing more of Hiroshi's attention to his younger relative.

"There's something more isn't there?" he asked, taking in her dazed features.

Yurirama only handed him the papers as a reply. In doing so Hiroshi noticed just how carefully she was of young Naruto. Ensuring not to disturb him as she moved her hands. And as soon as the paper was in his hands, Yurirama's had went back to cradling the infant with devote care. Weary to what could have sparked such a change over the woman, Hiroshi carefully unfolded the papers, and began looking through them. It was slightly harder to make sense of than some of his business contracts, but not too much harder. His eyes were first drawn to the words partial-match. From what he knew, he could guess that meant Yurirama had identified Naruto's parent. But when his eyes followed the words to just _whose _name it was that the young boy's DNA partially matched up was, he began to understand Yurirama's shock.

"Bu-but how?" he asked in shock.

"I don't know. She didn't show any signs at all, but it just might explain why she came back." Yurirama said quietly.

"You told me that the Sandaime said that it wasn't his mother that belonged to our clan. And you're sure that this is accurate?" he asked as his eyes went back to the words on the paper.

"I ran the test three times just to be sure. Naruto's her kid, no doubt about it, even if the hokage spoon fed me that bullshit, blood doesn't lie." Yurirama replied wanly as she shifted the babe up slightly.

"By the Kamis, no wonder she ran off again so suddenly. That the Yondaime used her child to stop a demon; I've suddenly lost a great deal of respect for the man." Hiroshi muttered as he found himself collapsing into a chair.

"I know I'd be pissed off too if the Hokage grabbed my kid and turned him into a Jinchuriki. But keep going, I didn't just triple check because of who the little guys mom is." She said tiredly, as she too sat down carefully.

"There's more? And what could possibly be bigger than this? You're currently holding Tsunade-sama's child in your arms! And you tell me there's more? What more could there be?" He asked incredulously.

"Shh, keep it down. You'll wake him up." She hissed as the young child began to squirm from the loud noises.

"Sorry." Hiroshi recoiled, now far more aware of the risks posed to the child before him.

"Look you just keep reading. I think it might be time to feed the little guy again. But please don't yell too loud when you get there." Yurirama replied as she stood up and began heading to the kitchen. All the while the young child continued to squirm and whine.

Hiroshi could only watch as what was likely the new heir to their clan was taken away to be fed. He couldn't help but feel dreadfully ill as he watched them leave. One week ago he had talked about getting rid of the child to save their clan face. He couldn't believe that he had considered such a notion about the child. If they hadn't tested the blood to be a hundred percent sure, then they would have thrown their clan heir out into the streets. If Tsunade ever found out, he was quite sure that he would die a rather messy death. Worse still he would have shamed himself not only in her eyes, but also in the eyes of all who had made his clan a name so respected. Hashirama, Tobirama, Mito, and so many others were probably rolling in their graves because of him.

"I'm sorry." He whispered to no one and everyone, as he turned his eyes back upon the paper before him. But as he continued to scan the paper, all thoughts of shame, and penance were forced to the back of his mind due to the presence of two words.

Bloodline Positive.

222

Fiori: Yes I know this is an evil place to stop, but hey I've ensured that Naruto stays with the Senju's. On that note i want you all to remember. None of the remaining Senju are Shinobi, save for Tsunade, and she's not in the village. Hell the only one who _might _be a shinobi is the old dude Iro, and that all depends on how funny it would be to see an 81 year old shinobi with dementia. So no naruto's gonna be sort of average to start off with. so don't expect some grand moment when he runs across something that will make him a super badass too soon.

As for that tell me what you guys think of this chapter. Was it believable, good, bad? Just review alright. Review or I shoot the Sandaime!


	3. Chapter 2

Fiori: Okay then another new chapter, though it's mostly a filler and info dump. No Naruto action yet, but I promise, next chapter for sure, we get to see Naruto interact with the world around him. Though it will be in the capacity of a small toddler, and things wont quite be from his point of view yet. Because honesty how deep can a eighteen month old be?

Anyways I noticed that I didn't receive as many reviews as I did for the initial chapter, so guess what that means old man.

Bang

Hiruzen: Goddamn it why the leg!

Fiori: Cause if I shot you in the arm you'd get out of paper work, so suffer! Now before you start trying to kill me, I would like to take the time to inform my audience that I in no way own Naruto, cause then shit would make a bit more sense. Like how the hell did Madara manage to get out of dying again? Come on Kishi at least make sense when you do shit like that!

222

Chapter Two

It was a nervous Senju Hiroshi that found himself outside the office of the Sandaime Hokage. It wasn't that he was worried about meeting the Hokage; in fact he'd already met the man, as well as his successor turned predecessor. So it was not the nervousness of a man about to meet authority for the first time. It was part of being the acting head of the Senju; he often spoke for his clan when important matters needed discussion. No what Hiroshi was worried about was the topic that this meeting would revolve around.

Six weeks ago he and his clan had confirmed that the young Jinchuriki was indeed one of their own. However the test had revealed more than just that. The revelation that the babe that was even now being carefully cared for by his clan was a direct descendant of the first Hokage was a shock. But had that been the end of the revelations, he wouldn't be near as nervous as he was now.

The test had revealed the presence of a Kekkei Genkai in Naruto's blood.

It was common knowledge in shinobi villages that there were three different categories that Kekkei Genkai could be classified in. (Though many often branched into one another) those three were the Doujutsu, Release Types, and the Body Types. Doujutsu were easy to describe, the Sharingan or the Byakugan were at the forefront of thought in regards to the eye techniques, though there were other lesser-known eyes out in the world. Release Types were a little more difficult to classify mostly because they could present in so many different ways. They could present as either a mixed element or an advanced version of a singular element, or even as an element that seemed to be unique, with no trace of the original five. Finally there were the Body Types, and they could be both the hardest and the easiest to identify. It could be something simple, yet unable to be seen by the naked eye, like extra tenketsu for higher Chakra control. Or it could be something extreme and easily able to see, like extra limbs or sensory organs. One of the few famous bloodlines from Kumo was a Body Type, that granted those fortunate enough to be born with it, six arms and a third eye, along with other abilities Hiroshi wasn't quite familiar with.

With this in mind, Konoha had come up with a method to identify bloodlines based on similarities. While it was true that on the surface a bloodline like the Hyõton (Ice Release) was different entirely than the Yõton (Lava Release), both were Release Type bloodlines. Within whatever strand of DNA that determined that the users had the ability to wield the mixed element, there was a minute similarity. Just as there were similarities between the Byakugan and the Sharingan. Sometimes the difference was so minute that one could often guess what the bloodline did, based on what was on record about another (Such as being able to determine which elements were involved). Other times all one could find was the category the bloodline fell into.

It was through this similarity that the DNA test was able to detect Naruto's Bloodline. Currently all the test could figure out about said Kekkei Genkai, was that it definitely fell into the category of a Release Type, with a few similar characteristics to a Body Type. Outside of that however, the test had failed to even produce a name for it. Which meant that whatever the bloodline was, it was currently not on record within Konoha.

That could mean any number of things. It could mean that whomever the father was, that they held a bloodline native to another country, thus it wouldn't appear in Konoha records. It could mean that it was a new bloodline that had just developed due to either an odd quirk that turned out to be useful, or a possible sign of Kyubi influence (Though the latter was unlikely if the Hokage was to be believed). Finally it could be a bloodline that was native to Konoha that just had never managed to be recorded, because when it was present, the system didn't exist.

It was this last option that filled Hiroshi with the most trepidation. For while he knew very little in regards to the shinobi world, he knew of one Kekkei Genkai that had once existed, but was never recorded within the system. The Mokuton of the Shodiame Hokage, Naruto's great-grandfather. If he had truly inherited the abilities of the first Hokage, then it would spell great upheaval in the future. Upheaval that he was unsure of how to deal with, thus this meeting had been called, in the hopes that the Sandaime could shed some light on the enigma that was the Senju clan heir. There was also the fact that Hiroshi wished to learn just _why_ the Hokage had lied about Naruto's parentage.

"Enter." Sarutobi's tired voice sounded from behind the doorway, drawing Hiroshi from his thoughts.

Entering the office of the village leader, Hiroshi had been prepared to accuse the Sandaime of out right lies and potential trickery. And yet those words that he had carefully prepared found themselves dying in his throat. For behind the desk said to have been made by the Shodai's Mokuton, was not the veteran of three world wars. Nor was it the grandfatherly Professor, it wasn't even the cold and calculating Kami no Shinobi. No, behind the desk sat a tired old man surrounded by paperwork and grief.

Hiroshi was suddenly struck by the realization that the Hokage looked to be a man who had lived through far too much, and was finally feeling the weight of all his trials. That he was a man who should have been enjoying his retirement with his family. Yet due to tragedy and conflict, had been forced back into the role of military leader of his village, even if it was the last thing the old veteran wished to do.

But with the Kyubi's attack devastating Konoha as it had, Sarutobi Hiruzen once more found himself in the position of a leader. Once more he would be called on to make the hard choices, to send men and women towards conflict and death. Especially now more than ever, with such damage done during the attack, it now fell to the Hokage to project an image of absolute strength to all. If he failed, and the world at large suspected that Konoha was no longer the pillar of indomitable power their reputation painted them to be. And then it was likely that Konoha would once more find itself at war. Whether it was a war for territory, revenge, or wealth, it wasn't something that Sarutobi could allow to happen. For it could spell Konoha's doom.

"Hiroshi, it is good to see you. Tell me, why have you requested this meeting?" Hiruzen greeted kindly, if not bluntly.

"Ah, Hokage-sama thank you for your kind words." Hiroshi bowed respectfully, drawn from his grim realizations.

"Please Hiroshi, don't grovel." The Hokage sighed.

"I apologize Hokage-sama." Hiroshi replied as he hastily rose from his bow, doing his best to appear calm.

"You are forgiven. Now, as to why you called this meeting. While I can guess at its nature, I would still like to hear it from yourself." Hiruzen nodded as he prompted Hiroshi to begin the meeting.

"It is about Naruto-sama." Hiroshi began, only to be interrupted by the older Hokage.

"Sama eh. So I take it then that the blood work you had Yurirama do told you about his '_mother'_ then." Hiroshi raised his eyes at the strange inflection Sarutobi used when referring to Tsunade, but in the end he ignored it in favor of more pressing matter.

"You knew we would do blood work?" Hiroshi asked, his eyebrows rose in minor surprise.

"Hiroshi, I had counted on it. It was partially why I chose to give him to Yurirama instead of you. She had easier access to the necessary equipment. And with the shoddy story I fed her it guaranteed that one of you would seek to fill in the holes in the story." Hiruzen explained.

"Why not simply tell us the truth?" Hiroshi countered.

"You know as well as I do how unbelievable the truth would have sounded. Tell me, in the months Tsunade spent in the village did you notice anything about her that would have clued you into her being pregnant?" Hiroshi could only shake his head at the truth. He had dealt with pregnant women before. His late wife had been a particularly glaring example on how they acted. Yet in all the time he had spent with Tsunade she had acted no different than any other time in her life. Maybe a bit more reserved, but that alone wouldn't have indicated anything. Had she been reserved one moment then throwing a tantrum the next, all before collapsing in tears and craving the oddest food combinations imaginable (He didn't care what his wife thought, chutney, curry powder, and fried eggs should not go together) then Hiroshi could see her being pregnant.

"No, Tsunade-sama acted as she always has."

"Exactly, if I had told you or Yurirama that young Naruto was her son you wouldn't have believed me. At best you might have still done the blood work and found out the truth, but at worst you might have refused to even consider the possibilities. So I decided to hedge my bets. This way you don't have a way to deny the truth." Hiruzen smiled.

"It is as you say Hokage-sama." Hiroshi sighed as he finally understood the extend of the Hokage's machinations in regards to lying about Naruto's origins, at least as far as his mother went.

"Good, now was there anything else?" The wizen shinobi asked calmly as he gazed at the younger man.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. There is one more thing in regards to young Naruto-sama." Hiroshi answered.

"I assume it is about why Tsunade abandoned her child?" Hiruzen guessed.

"While I am curious about that Hokage-sama, it is not the most pressing of concerns." Hiroshi replied as he reached into one of his pockets. Pulling out the folded papers that revealed Naruto's heritage. Slowly he handed the papers to the older man, and watched as he read the results.

On Hiruzen's part, when he had been handed the papers he had feared that the Senju's had discovered the identity of Naruto's father. While it was true that it was something easily nipped in the bud, it would still lead to problems. After all, secrets were easier to keep when fewer people knew them. And easier still to keep when they weren't revealed on paper. Yet as he read through the results, he couldn't stop his eyes from widening as he saw the true reason why Hiroshi still looked nervous.

"This changes things." He said softly as he read the results, yet it was not soft enough to prevent Hiroshi from hearing his words.

"What do you mean Hokage-sama?" Hiroshi asked in concern.

"Originally I would have asked that you raise Naruto as if he was any other child of your clan rather than the heir. This would have been for the benefit of both your clan and Naruto himself." Hiroshi could only look at the older man in confusion as his words failed to make any realization. "Think about it this way, how do you think everyone would react to a Jinchuriki being clan heir? Let alone a Jinchuriki containing the demon who just butchered so many of our fellow citizens?" Hiruzen continued, even as the implication sunk in.

"There would be uproar." He whispered.

"Yes, many would have become paranoid of some perceived plot. Even if the truth of his parentage became known, many would have dismissed it out of hand simply because of his status of Jinchuriki. Others would have begun calling for his death due to some pointless bit of paranoia based around some sort of brain washing ability. In the end it would have made things worse for him rather than better. Without Tsunade here to confirm anything it's best if his parentage remained secret." Hiruzen nodded, "but the presence of a bloodline changes everything."

"How?"

"Bloodlines are the symbols of status here as you well know, and as a Senju with a Release Type bloodline, there is only one possible bloodline he could have. It would be impossible to disguise his parentage. And to be both the Jinchuriki of the strongest Bijuu, along with the first natural holder of the Mokuton since the Shodai spells for hard times ahead." Hiruzen said frankly.

"Are you certain it's the Mokuton? Isn't it possible that it's something from his father?" Hiroshi asked in concern.

"No, his father had no such abilities. This could only come from Tsunade." Hiruzen answered softly.

"So you knew his father?" Hiroshi asked, curious of what sort of man could have drawn Tsunade to bed.

"Yes, I knew him. Though I'm afraid his identity will have to remain with me. He was quite powerful, and if word got out that he bred, with Tsunade of all people, young Naruto would be in grave danger. More than he already is, just by being a Jinchuriki and Tsunade's son." Hiruzen offered with a small smile.

"Was it Jiraiya?"

"Ha, the boy wishes." The Hokage laughed lightly, surprising Hiroshi with just how amused the older man was at the very thought of two of the Sannin breeding. "No, sufficed to say, the identity of Naruto's father shall remain with me until such a time when Naruto is capable of handling the enemies that would doubtlessly come his was when the knowledge becomes released to the public. So I ask that neither you or anyone else in your clan seek to determine his identity," Sarutobi continued.

"As you will Hokage-sama." Hiroshi conceded to the order, his life was already proving to become increasingly complex. Best to not drawn the Hokage's ire on top of everything else.

"Very well, now if there is nothing else?" Sarutobi asked.

"There is nothing that I can think of." Hiroshi replied honestly.

"Then it is time for me to get back to the paperwork. I thank you for coming to me with this knowledge, and I ask that you heed my words from earlier. Raise him as any ordinary child, love him but do not spoil him." The wizen leader of the village spoke softly, yet sternly enough that Hiroshi knew that it was an order. Yet it was did remind him of something crucial enough that speaking to the Hokage about it could only prove beneficial in the long run.

"I assume that you mean raise him as a shinobi child?" Hiroshi asked carefully, drawing a sad smile from the Hokage.

"Yes, unfortunately. It is a sad truth that all Jinchuriki are to be treated as weapons of one sort or another." Hiruzen sighed softly.

"Then I ask for the scrolls left by Hashirama-sama. If Naruto-sama is to eventually develop the Mokuton, it is only right that he has access to the records of its techniques." Hiroshi proposed. It was a reasonable request, and the Hokage would likely agree to such a thing. The only reason Hiroshi even had to ask the question was because a Kage made the techniques. Add to that that Naruto was literally the first Senju in three generations to show potential to use such abilities, and it made sense that the scroll containing Hashirama's Mokuton teachings was to be kept in the tower.

"I shall see to it that they are given to him when his bloodline becomes active." Hiruzen nodded in agreement.

"Then by your leave Hokage-sama."

222

It was as Hiroshi left his office that Hiruzen allowed himself to relax. With a sigh he could only contemplate how a bloodline would complicate things. While he had expected things to play out in much this manner, the Kekkei Genkai was a wildcard. Many things could go wrong if such knowledge became public. Yet it also had the potential to up young Naruto's standing, helping to ease him out of the stigma that would doubtlessly be heaped upon him in the years to come. The question though was how to unveil such a thing.

As of this moment Naruto was a target simply because he was a Jinchuriki, and while it was true that other villages would actively target him for that alone, it would be at best a token effort. However Naruto had other factors that made him a much larger target. Hiruzen doubted it would take much longer for the villagers to finally pinpoint Naruto's location and the family caring for him. Once that happened it was only a matter of time before someone complained to him about placing the Jinchuriki with the Senju. Once that happened he would have to let the council know who his _mother _was. And then there was the bloodline.

There was always the idea of simply passing the bloodline off as a Bijuu gifted talent. It wasn't unheard of for Jinchuriki to have some kind of ability granted to them by their prisoner, or for the Bijuu to enhance something that was already there in the host to ensure their own survival. An added fact was that many a times what ever was added or enhanced became a natural bloodline that whatever children the Jinchuriki was lucky enough to have, managed to inherit. Sunagakure boasted several shinobi who had the ability to wield sand, and it was said that the ability started with their first Jinchuriki of Shukaku. Yet even trying that option was doomed to fail. Why would the Kyubi grant its host with the ability to tame and subdue it of all things? Added to that he had assured the council that the Kyubi was incapable of effecting Naruto to that extent. No the only option he had when Naruto started to exhibit Mokuton was to tell the truth, or at least half the truth. After all if he told the whole truth about Naruto's parentage he would be in far more danger.

He could handle the problems that could come with Naruto simply being known as Tsunade's child. Hiruzen had already assigned an ANBU squad willing to look out for the Senju clan, and Naruto by extension. But the problem was Naruto wasn't _just_ the child of one of the Sannin. He was the direct descendant of the Shodia Hokage, heir to one of Konoha's oldest clans, and so many other things besides. Any one of those things made him a target on a good day. But the grudges born against the Shodai were old, too old to even be a danger. Many who wished to seek vengeance against clan Senju had already either achieved it, or had died of old age. Even Tsunade's enemies wouldn't come looking for him, since it would be much easier to seek out the grief filled wanderer. Sure she wasn't stationary, but Tsunade was alone save one apprentice and a pig. Sturdy walls surrounding a village teaming with Shinobi didn't protect her, making her a safer target for any grudge born against clan Senju or her personally.

Namikaze Minato's enemies however didn't have that luxury of seeking him out directly. All that he had left to the world was his son, a squalling infant that many would like to kill. For the wounds wrought by Minato's actions were still fresh in comparison to those left by Hashirama. Added was the fact that the wounds were also more wide spread and deeper still than any left by Tsunade, and one would begin to see why keeping the identity of Naruto's father a secret.

Thus all of the things Naruto had been _lucky enough_ to be born as combined made things so very complex that he couldn't even tell anyone the absolute truth. The technical son of a Sannin, a Kage, and a powerful Jinchuriki, as well as the descendant of another Kage, host to the most powerful Demon in the land, and wielder of a lost and powerful Kekkei Genkai that they weren't entirely sure of its true capabilities. For even Tenzo, who bore a mere replica of the Mokuton couldn't use it to its full potential. No the absolute truth was so very precious that it would _have _to be protected by an intricate web of lies.

While the Sandaime had faith in the heads of the shinobi clans to keep the matter confidential (see 'use for their own ends), it was the civilians on the council that would pose the biggest risk. While they may be necessary when it came to the day to day running of the village, they needed to be constantly reminded that they had no say in shinobi matters. And matters involving a Jinchuriki defiantly fell into such a category. However they had in the past overstepped their bounds in regards to shinobi matters.

The suicide of the Hatake Sakumo, Konoha's Shiroi kiba (White Fang) could be laid at the feet of councilors who simply didn't understand what was more valuable during war. While successful missions were good, a dead soldier couldn't be sent on more missions. Thus it became a carefully weighed scale between the difference of the number soldiers lives that could be lost, and the mission's importance. Thus when Hatake Sakumo thought his team more important than the mission, everything had gone to hell. If he hadn't killed himself there were numerous ways he could have contributed more to the welfare of the village. Instead the Shiroi Kiba was made to believe that suicide was the only way he could earn redemption.

In the end Sarutobi felt it was very likely that if the civilians were to learn too much about things in regards to Naruto's heritage, problems that could have easily been avoided would crop up as they tried to exert power in matters not there concern. No they would have to be left out of things until the Mokuton became public knowledge, otherwise the best-case scenario would be if the council kept the knowledge a secret, plotting and scheming to use Naruto for their own ends. Perhaps a few would forget the Kyubi for a moment and try to press their daughters upon him, seeking to raise their own standing. The worst case however, was if the foolish councilors blabbed the knowledge to anyone who would listen. Spreading the knowledge such to the point that it reached other nations. And then the assassins would come.

Jinchuriki had in the past been regular targets for assassination, especially those who housed one of the Bijuu. It was why the villages that homed such a person tried their best to keep their identities secret until the demon host had some measure of control and training. After that other villages could attack at their own peril. However Naruto would be a target even without his Jinchuriki status simply because of the bloodline he'd been lucky enough to be born with.

The Mokuton had become the stuff of legends. An ability to bring life to even the most desolate of places. Added to that was its ability to tame demons, and it had made Hashirama the arguably most powerful man since the Rikudo Sennin. The only other person able to make such a claim had been Uchiha Madara, and since they had aligned to form Konoha, it had made them a force none had dared to cross. Many had coveted the abilities of the Mokuton, and it had led to some of the most grisly acts imaginable, Orochimaru had been merely the tip of the iceberg when it came to those who had sought to recreate the power of the Mokuton. While his experiments had been twisted and evil, it had produced results. Had the cost not been so high, and had he not experimented on children Orochimaru would have likely been forgiven his actions. But others had tried before him to recreate the Mokuton, and the primary people they had targeted in their quest for power were those who bore the Shodai's blood. It was for that reason, why so very few Senju were left.

And now Naruto had emerged. An already confirmed wielder of the Mokuton due to an intricate plot to ensure his good health, fate obviously had it out for the little guy.

"I'm getting too old for this shit." Sarutobi groused as he stood. He knew what he had to do; the council would needed to be informed about the latest development. It was better to do it now, now when he was still the one who had all the information. Even his teammates and Danzo didn't know how Naruto had been conceived; they had suspicions obviously, but not the whole picture. This way he could keep some of the knowledge to himself. It was doubtless they would confront him later, but for now he was still in control. All he had to do was tell the majority of the council who his _mother _was. His teammates and Danzo would probably back him up in this matter, for if Naruto was known as Tsunade's child it would likely curb some of the internal matters that had happened in other villages. And they wanted Naruto alive just as much as he did, for their own reasons of course.

For while it was true that assassins were usually an external threat, Jinchuriki were often targeted by internal attempts. Sometimes due to those who had lost a loved one during the initial capture of the demon. Other times because the previous host had lost control and killed someone. Or even in this case, the demon had gotten free and went on a rampage.

It would be a risky gamble to reveal the exact location of Naruto, but it was also likely that it could pay off. Appeasing several of those who were grumbling about his location. Not only that but many people admired and owed favors to Tsunade, killing her child would be a bad idea.

As for his knowledge about the Mokuton, well he'd keep that secret for as long as he could. It would come out eventually true, but by then it would be too late to implement any plans to gain control over Naruto. He'd already be in the academy, a public figure that couldn't be touched. His disappearance would draw attention, and thus he'd be safe. Or at least he'd be safe from internal politics.

It would be a long night, but by the end of it, Naruto would still be safe in the Senju compound. He would be able to grow up surrounded by family, loved and nurtured. And he would be loyal; The Will of Fire would grow within him as Konoha's founding clan cared him for. Naruto had so much untapped potential that regardless of who trained him, he would likely end up in Konoha's legends.

Now if only he could ensure that the messages he sent to his two wayward students actually reached them before they got too far. Things would be so much easier if one of the Sannin regularly checked in with him to ensure Naruto's good health.

222

Fiori: And done, hope you guys like the chapter, even though it was mostly politics. Sad thing is though that that stuff is kind of important. And I hope you all understood Sarutobi's motivations, he's not _just_ hoping for the best in this. He's actually planning things out, while hoping for the best. He's a leader and a tactician, and sadly that means he'll have to play chess with his people. At least in this case his machinations were harmless.

So now that that's done, review or I shoot somebody.


	4. Chapter 3

Fiori: Well would you look at that, the last chapter actually received the most reviews out of all the chapters. I thank you all/

Now on with the show, sorry again all, but this is a kinda slow chapter that is more meant to pave the way for things to come. I hope you all find it acceptable.

Also I don't own Naruto.

222

Heir to Senju

Chapter Three

It is said that no plan was capable of surviving contact with the enemy. When applied to the world of shinobi, such a saying became a simple fact. The more complicated a battle plan, the more likely it was to fail if even the slightest detail went wrong. It was one of the reasons why the Nara clan was so highly valued, as it was rare for any of their plans to fail, regardless of said plan's complexity. But others were not blessed with such ability, and often adopted a flexible mindset whenever possible, as plans that left room for improvisation were often more likely to succeed. Those shinobi that stuck to rigid thinking and were incapable of changing a plan on the fly, were often the ones that died during a mission gone wrong. That was why neither Sarutobi, nor the surviving Senju were surprised with the reactions that came about, when the council had been informed of Naruto's parentage.

The plan was to hopefully lessen the burden of hatred that was soon to be thrust upon the young Jinchuriki and Senju heir. By revealing his ancestry Sarutobi hoped to give pause to those who didn't understand the workings of the shinobi world. Doing so also blocked out any of Danzo's plans to try to weaponize the boy, as the disappearance of clan heirs was never something discreet. Thus kidnappings by any inside sources were blocked. Another potential benefit of his plan was that word would travel about the Senju clan's new heir. With any luck that word would reach his two loyal students and bring them back to the village. However the only part of the plan that had worked was the part to protect the boy from the dangers within his shinobi forces.

The reactions had been varied and numerous with the only unanimous reaction being shock. Many of the civilian members had been outraged, doing their best to dispute the information as it was put before them. Others had quickly gotten over their speechlessness and demanded proof of such an allegation. Others had been calmer in their reactions, but all the same they had requested confirmation on his claim of Naruto's heritage. In fact out of everyone on the council, only the heads of the Akamichi, the Inuzuka, and (oddly enough) the Uchiha had taken Sarutobi at his word. Even Danzo and his advisors had been leery and suspicious of the claim, and they had been the ones that had backed him in his claims when it looked like some of those present were one the verge of getting violent. For even if they didn't quite believe him, they could at least see the benefits of letting the majority of the village believe what they saw to be a little white lie. Though Sarutobi had to suppress the bark of laughter he had wanted to give at their reactions when he had handed out the copies of the blood work.

It had only been after he had passed out of an edited version of the DNA test that had been run by the Senju, that some semblance of calm had been restored to the council meeting room. All the results showed was that Naruto's blood had a partial match to Tsunade's, and nothing else. It hadn't escaped Sarutobi's notice that several individuals were curious about the missing half of the test results. As they themselves had no doubt used a similar test on their own clan heirs. Yet in the end it wasn't truly important that certain individuals suspected something off about the test. What mattered was that even if they suspected that there was more to the blood work, they couldn't deny that what was shown was indeed valid. Thus the majority of the naysayers had fallen silent as the documents were handed out and confirmed his claim.

However, even if they had believed the documents, it didn't stop many people from reacting negatively to the information. While it was true that the chant for the death of the Jinchuriki had stopped before it could truly gain any steam. It had not outright erased the hatred that had already accumulated. Even with Naruto's undisputed place as the new heir to clan Senju, many were unwilling to trust that he was truly human. Worse still the confirmation that he had been placed with a family ended exactly as both Hiroshi and Yurirama had feared, many a cold eye were cast upon the members of clan Senju. Friends outside of the family had turned their backs on them for the supposed betrayal that came with protecting the so-called demon that was masquerading as Tsunade's son. Oddly enough not a word was said against Tsunade; in fact several people praised her for abandoning her child after the demon had stolen his skin. However, very few people had anything good to say about any of the other Senju.

Hiroshi's business had begun to slowly die as fewer patrons entered his shop for any other reason than to subtly insult him, or occasionally demand that he move his place of business away from the good and honest folk. In Yurirama's case, she herself treating fewer and fewer patients, and those she did treat would often make requests for a new doctor as they sneered at her. The only reason she hadn't been fired was the simple fact that she was lucky enough to have tenure, thus requiring a formal board meeting to even think about firing her. But even then, shopkeepers had started to raise prices exclusively for members of the Senju clan whenever something needed to be purchased. It was when the Senju's found themselves barred from entering certain public places, with such petty excuses, such as a lack of free tables given as explanation, that they began t understand just what the villagers were trying to do.

Slowly but surely the Senju's were being isolated, and cast further and further into destitution. If not for Hiroshi taking the risk to start traveling outside the village and trading with foreign business partners, things could have gotten very bad for them.

However it was in this newfound pariah-hood, that something that had been thought to be impossible, started to happen. The Senju was not the only clan being isolated. Call it an odd quirk of fate, chance, or something else entirely. Regardless of what it was called, both of the founding clans of Konoha found themselves isolated from their peers. For those of the Uchiha clan had been placed under just as much suspicion as those amongst the Senju. The reasons were even of a similar nature, though there were slight differences in them, and even a difference in _who _was behind their sudden ostracism. While it was the civilians of Konoha that were behind the accusations of the Senju clan harboring and protecting the demon that had killed the _real _clan heir. The Uchiha found themselves accused by the other shinobi clans of being the ones who had released said demon upon Konoha in the first place.

No one had outright accused any of them of being responsible of said crimes, to do so would invoke the wrath of those far stronger than many civilian and the more narrow minded shinobi were prepared to handle. As the Hokage had a vested interest in ensuring the welfare of the few surviving Senju, and many of the Uchiha were shinobi, even if they lacked the Sharingan, no one dared trying to accuse them directly. But the members of both clans could tell, in fact it was rather easy to see from the cold looks that were showered upon them, such malice and suspicion focused upon them from every angle was proof enough of the villagers' opinions. Yet in their attempts to ostracize the two founding clans, it had resulted in a sudden reconciliation between them.

Both clans had suddenly been aware of their sudden isolation, both their own and that of the other clan's. Their allies were few and far between, and those in charge of the clans had few options when it came to regaining any form of political capital. In the end their only real options had been to turn to the other. Despite the years of hostility between the two clans, they had come to a sudden and common realization that they had no other choice. No one else would associate with them outside of necessity, and even then it was only with a vague mask of politeness. So with the revelation that not one, but both the families of the founders could be treated so, what was the point of holding onto old grudges?

Though it was not an instant alliance for there were still quite a bit of hostility and tension between the two clans, tension that would be a slow thing to dissipate, for the Senju and Uchiha had worked for years to accumulate it. Hostilities had not been restarted just from the instance of Madara's betrayal. That in fact had merely been a spar that rekindled a slowly dying fire of hatred and mistrust between the two clans. In fact since then several instances had occurred that only served to raise their ire towards the other. One major instance had been the appointment of Senju Tobirama as Nidaime Hokage, for while it was true that he was equal to his brother in terms of skill and strength, not to mention his manipulation of Suiton jutsu had been without equal. Madara's eldest son had been more than just a rival in combat abilities to the elder Senju. Truthfully, if one were to tally up the number of times Tobirama had lost to the younger man, they would find that the Uchiha was actually the stronger of the two. And yet Tobirama had become the second Hokage. The act had been seen as petty nepotism at its finest and only served to widen the gap between the two clans. Another instance had been the presence of an Uchiha teammate during the mission that had resulted in the death of Senju Nawaki. When the boy had returned baring minimal injuries despite the death of a teammate, many had seen it as an act of spite. The members of Nawaki's family had thought the Uchiha had simply let the beloved descendant of Senju Hashirama die instead of trying to protect him. In addition to those instances other events had cropped up over the years and slowly but surely it had resulted in both clans falling back into the antagonistic roles they had once held towards the other. Merely without the bloodshed that had been present in the Warring Clans Era.

Yet now, things were finally starting to heal. And the greatest example of such had occurred two and a half years after the Kyubi attack.

222

Yurirama had never had children of her own. Not because she hadn't wanted them, it was merely because no one had appealed to her in the sense that she wanted to bear their child. However the truth was that part of her couldn't wait to be a mother. It was part of the reason why after she had confirmed Naruto's status as a Senju that she had continued to be his caretaker. It should also be noted that previous to her caring for Naruto, Yurirama had on occasion been pulled to work a shift at maternity. To her, it had been some of the most miraculous moments of her life, watching as new life was brought into the world for the first time. The expressions on the new parents faces as they held their child for the first time. See such things had made her feel as if the world was just a bit brighter.

Yet if caring for Naruto was any indication, she _never _wanted to bring another being into the world. As a newborn babe he had been one of the cutest most adorable gifts upon the earth that any Kami could grant. As a toddler he was hell on two legs intent on sending her to an early grave, and anyone who said differently was a moron of the highest caliber.

It had started out innocently enough, the curiosity that came when a baby finally recovered from the trauma of being born. Naruto had started examining everything that had been brought into his visual field, and then came his ability to reach for the things that had caught his interest. Naruto would then do as all babies did and try to stick whatever it was he had managed to grasp within his mouth. Yurirama had at first thought it precious, and then the crazy child had tried to swallow an entire bottle's worth of Senju Iro's dementia medication. How Naruto had gotten a hold of the bottle, and how he had managed to get the cap off of the thing would always remain a mystery to her. In the end it didn't really matter, as she'd had to scream at the top of her lungs and lunged for the boy as he brought the open bottle to his mouth. She had no idea why, but apparently the small child had found her shaking him upside-down to ensure that he hadn't actually swallowed any of the pills to be the most fun he'd had in his short life.

After that, Naruto had seemingly made it his mission to give his caretaker a heart attack. If not for the fact that he radiated an aura of innocence and curiosity, she would swear he was doing it on purpose. But alas it appeared that her concern for his safety was completely coincidental to the small toddler. Not only that but he seemed to think her chasing after him to be great fun.

The most recent incident could be blamed on the fact that the child had _far_ too much energy and had mastered running entirely too early for her tastes. She had set Naruto down in his high chair to prepare him for lunch, turning her back on him for all of thirty seconds to pull the food out, and when she looked back he had been gone. Currently she had no idea where he had run off to, but wherever he was, he was doing a remarkable job staying quite.

"Naru-chan, come out for Yuri-nee. If you come out now I promise I won't make you eat the pickles." She called as she searched through the house. Of course she was lying about not making him each the pickles. Even if he might hate the taste, he needed to eat them to be healthy.

But it was as she continued her search that she came across something that nearly made her shut down in fear and shock. It was the open window in the sitting room, a window that's sill was just low enough for someone of Naruto's size to reach if they jumped for it. Now normally she would have disregarded this, as it was unlikely that any normal two year old would be able to make such a jump, and then have the energy and strength to pull themselves up. But as she had learned, Naruto seemed to giggle at the improbable. With a speed born of desperation and fear, Yurirama rushed for the front door to at least ensure that he hadn't found his way outside. Only to nearly run head first into someone who looked to be about to knock.

"Oh shit. Sorry, in a hurry!" Yurirama apologized quickly as she tried to move past the stranger at the door. Too worried to truly notice who it was, or even what they had in their arm.

"I would assume. Might I guess that you were looking for this little one?" The dark haired woman asked with a small smile as she moved the arm supporting a small blond haired and blue-eyed child.

"Yuri!" Naruto called out as he made grabbing motions towards her.

"Naruto! Oh kami don't you dare do that again!" She called out as she took hold of the squirming toddler, holding him close to affirm he was still there. Naruto apparently startled by the genuine fear in her voice merely lowered his head, somehow understanding that he had done wrong in scaring her.

"Sorry." His small one word answer was genuinely repentant, though it probably wouldn't stop him from doing something again.

"It's okay, just don't do it again. Okay?" She asked as she held him away from her, so she could look him in the eyes.

"K," He replied with a childish smile.

"Good boy." She smiled back as she pulled him back to her. With her duty as his guardian done, Yurirama turned towards the woman who had found the small child outside. She was actually quite surprised by just who it was. There in front of her stood Uchiha Mikoto, wife to Fugaku the head of the Uchiha clan.

"Ah, Uchiha-dono. My apologies that you had to see such a display." Yurirama apologized, even as she took a step backwards, further into the house. While it was true that Yurirama had some doubts about the whispers that had begun to pervade Konoha, rumors which pointed the finger at the Uchiha as those responsible for the Kyubi attack. She felt it better to be safe, especially when Naruto was considered into the equation.

"It's no trouble Senju-san, I myself have had to have similar words with both of my children." Mikoto replied, a small smile gracing her lips, either not noticing the cautious air about Yurirama. Or, more than likely, Mikoto simply didn't care that Yurirama was being cautious.

"Ah, well in that case, I thank you for retrieving this child before he wandered too far. Might I ask what he was doing when you found him?" Yurirama asked in morbid curiosity. A desire to at least know what she should admonish Naruto for doing.

"I eat veggies!" the small child cried triumphantly, confusing his holder immensely

"He was playing in the flower bed over there. I got the impression that he found it quite fun to pull them out before stuffing them down his mouth. Lucky for you I stopped him before he could start eating anything toxic." Mikoto replied while gesturing to a noticeably destroyed flower garden, one that had miraculously survived everything ever thrown at the village. Save for the small bundle of terror now under Yurirama's arms.

"What am I going to do with you?" Yurirama sighed in defeat as she gazed across the upturned soil and noticed several plants looking to have been chewed on while still in the ground.

"Play!" Came the immediate answer.

"Not right now Naru-chan. Maybe later." Yurirama replied as she began to rock the child in her arms. Hoping the motion would calm him enough that he would stop squirming. Idly she noted that Mikoto was still standing before her, a small amused smile playing across the Uchiha matriarchs face. "Was there something else I could help you with Uchiha-dono?" She asked.

"Ah, well you see, I was wondering if you could use any help with that one there?" Mikoto asked as she pointed at the slowly calming toddler. This response however caused Yurirama to blink in mute shock. She stared at the older woman for several long moments before she called back into the house.

"Tenchi, could you come here for a minute!" A soft pounding of feet was heard as the new figure came as called.

Senju Tenchi was a young man, not particularly tall, or broad. Rather he was a slim young man, his only muscle growth had come about from hauling cargo and merchandise for his father, Hiroshi. Like his father his hair was brown, yet he had inherited the spiky mop style from his mother. His face was slim and bore a distinct smile upon it. Yet it was his eyes that were his most distinguishing feature. Like the princess of their clan, his eyes were a rich honey color, almost golden. All in all he was a nice young man that was wholly dependable and likable. Currently he was dressing in a rich green shirt and brown pants.

"Ne ne, Yuri-chan! What can I help you with?" He asked kindly.

"Take Naruto for a minute would you. My guest and I are having a conversation." She replied evenly as she carefully handed her clansman the small toddler in question. Tenchi seemed taken aback by the sudden presence of a child in his arms. But he had quickly grown used to being the secondary care taker of the small child.

"Okay, but what could you need to… ah I see." Tenchi had begun to ask as he took the younger Senju into his arms, Even as the toddler had begun to reach for his face. "Well come on then Naruto, let's go play." Tenchi said with a smile, though Yurirama caught the look in his eyes, a silent 'be careful' passing to her from her clansman.

"Is something the matter Senju-san?" Mikoto asked as soon as Naruto and Tenchi had left. Yurirama doubted that she hadn't noticed that brief look caution her clansman had sent her. After all Mikoto was a shinobi, and she was a simple civilian.

"I am unsure, Uchiha-dono. Please follow me to the sitting room; this is not a subject to be discussed in a doorway." Yurirama replied as she led the shinobi woman into the house. "Tea?"

"None, thank you. I believe you had something you wished to discuss." Mikoto prompted as she took a seat at the table.

"Yes, you will have to forgive my rudeness, but what interest could you possibly have in involving yourself with a Senju child?" The Senju woman asked her Uchiha guest.

"Ara, ara, such suspicion. Can one mother not simply offer her services to another, someone obviously struggling?" Mikoto asked, a small smile of amusement playing across her face.

"Had you been anyone else, making the offer about any other child I might believe that. However Uchiha-dono, Naruto is not just any child. I am well within my rights to be suspicious of anyone when it comes to his safety.

"Hmm, true. Your suspicion is quite healthy given just _who_ young Naruto is. However in this case it is unfounded." Mikoto replied with a thoughtful air to her voice.

"You will forgive me if I do not immediately take you for your word. Now might I ask again? Why might an Uchiha wish to help with the raising of a Senju child? Our clans are not exactly on the best of terms, so it has to be something more than just wanting to help." Yurirama replied.

"Actually it _is_ a simple desire to help. Though it is not a desire to help solely you, or clan Senju." Mikoto conceded.

"So how does asking to help raise Naruto assist your clan?" Yurirama asked in confusion. Not clearly seeing how it could help, but knowing that it was the main goal of the offer of assistance.

"There are several reasons. Most concern my youngest son Sasuke. You are of course aware of the rumors that abound about the village these days?" Mikoto explained.

"Yes, I am very much aware." The Senju maiden replied.

"Then you know that it is very likely that my youngest son is to grow up with out any friends. I fear that the loneliness would do my son no good." Mikoto replied.

"Alone? But what about your other son? Surely he could be there for his own brother? Not to mention all the other Uchiha children Sasuke's age." Yurirama pointed out.

"My Itachi has recently graduated from the Shinobi Academy, thus I doubt he will be around much to help me with Sasuke. As for the other children, I do not want my son to be involved in the political chess game the parents of the other Uchiha children would doubtlessly try and play." The Uchiha matriarch explained calmly.

"But isn't that what you're doing now?" Yurirama pointed out calmly.

"Hmm, only to an extent. I wish no favors from you, or your family. Save a potential friendship from he who would eventually inherit the clan. And even then the friendship would not be to me, but rather to my son. The one _not _inline to inherited clan leadership." Mikoto countered.

"So… what your say is that you are trying to foster a better relationship between our clans, via the next generation?" Yurirama tried to understand.

"Exactly."

"But why now Uchiha-dono? This could have been done generations ago?"

"Because previous to this, neither of our families have been on equal footing. Yet at this very moment we have both hit the bottom, so to speak. Your clan heir has the stigma that will follow him for the rest of his life, and my children have a similar stigma. Few parents outside of our own clansmen will let their children approach them." Mikoto elaborated.

"So with no one else to turn to, you might as well pick the only family likely to understand your plight." Yurirama offered calmly,

"Yes."

Yurirama was unsure what to make of the offer. On one hand the woman before her seemed genuine. Mikoto wanted to start bridging the gap between the two families, and she was offering to help raise Naruto. Yet on the other hand, she was an Uchiha. They had been silently feuding with them for decades, so the sudden olive branch was quite the shock. Added on was the fact that the woman before her wasa shinobi, and even if she did appear to be honest in her intentions, Yurirama had been played the fool by shinobi before. The Senju woman couldn't help but think that there was something more than what she was telling her, yet she couldn't quite place what that something might have been. In the end she had to make a choice, and hope that the gamble would be worth it.

"Very well then, I guess I could always use some help raising Naru-chan. You yourself saw, he can be quite the handful." She said with a smile.

"I'm sure, and thank you for taking up on my offer. I assure you, you wont regret it." Mikoto said as she stood to leave.

"Do you need me to see you out?" Yurirama offered as she too stood.

"No, but I thank you for the offer Senju-san."

"Please call me Yurirama, after all you're going to be helping me." She offered her guest.

"Then you may as well call me Mikoto, Yurirama-san." The Uchiha offered, even as she continued to exit the building, leaving the civilian woman to her thoughts. But it would not be till ten minutes after the Uchiha clan Matriarch had left that Yurirama would allow herself to relax. She had not truly realized how on edge that entire meeting had put her. Yet even an hour after the meeting had ended, she could not help but wondering.

'_Did I make the right choice?'_

It would not be till years after the encounter that Yurirama would have an answer her question. All Yurirama knew at that point in her life, was that interesting times lay ahead of her and her young ward.

222

Fiori: And that's the end of that. I really hope you can forgive me for all the politicking my story seems to involve. I honestly had no intention of putting that in when I started. It just seems to write itself in there somehow. Anyway hopefully the next chapter will be less politically inclined and more… I don't know action based.

Anyways, please review it actually encourages me to write more.


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